Wednesday of the First Week of Advent

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent

Readings for Wednesday of the First Week of Advent[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 25:6-10a

On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken.

On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 25:6-10a

Isaiah once more envisions the messianic kingdom where there is no enmity between peoples, there is not want, and the whole world rejoices in that great peace. This reading is favored at funeral liturgies because of its image of the heavenly kingdom. There is a clear sense of anticipation appropriate for the Advent season as the second coming is looked for as well as the Lord’s Nativity.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (6cd) I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar in the entire psalter. “God's loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Psalm 23:1-4) and a host's generosity toward a guest (Psalm 23:5-6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Isaiah 40:11; 49:10; Jeremiah 31:10).” [4]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 15:29-37

At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.”
The disciples said to him,
“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?”
Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 15:29-37

This account of the multiplication of the loaves is a doublet of the story found in Matthew 14:13-21. In this story, however, Jesus takes the initiative instead of the disciples and the crowd has been with him three days. We see a good deal of Hebrew numerology in this story. The three days the crowd has been with him, three having literary significance in addition to the three days in the tomb, we find ancient Hebrew words used three times signify the most profound usage (ie. great, great, great is equivalent to great, greater, greatest). The use of seven loaves and baskets of fragments with seven being the most perfect number indicates the fullness of the event.

We also see the significant Eucharistic implications of this event as Jesus provides a miracle to satisfy the crowd in the breaking of the bread. Placed as it is, immediately following the description of how he was healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and making the lame walk, we are given a vision of the fulfillment of Messiah’s mission as predicted by Hebrew Prophets.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:

As the stress of the holiday season begins to build in many of us we pause to examine why we feel stress when we should really be feeling peace. Scripture from Isaiah describes the heavenly banquet and the idyllic universal peace of the Lord’s Table. From the earliest times it is clear that the Heavenly Father, not unlike a natural parent, wants only happiness for his Children. Regardless of the circumstances, rich or poor the happiness that comes from the freedom from want is the fondest wish of God. It is eloquently expressed in Psalm 23 – that peace and freedom that comes only from faith in an omnipotent and loving Father who keeps us from all harm.

In St. Matthew’s Gospel the Lord feeds the multitudes as always – God feeds us. He feeds our souls with the Word that brings peace; he feeds our spirits with his Body and Blood in the Eucharist that endows us with heavenly grace and opening that path to peace. There is more that a miracle that takes place on this mountain side described by St. Matthew, much more. The Love of God overflows the bounds of heaven and is poured out upon those who gather in his worldly presence. Even though they do not know it, they must feel the peace of the Lord as they recline in that place made holy by his presence.

We come back then to why we feel the stress of this season.

Some feel stress because of a loss; the loss of a loved one, keenly remembered in the celebrations of which they were so much a part. The Lord bids us be at peace, those who have gone before us in faith remain with us as we celebrate God’s gift of himself. Those who have separated themselves from us must deal with the consequences of their decisions – for our part we must look to God’s love and the peace that flows from forgiveness.

Some feel stress because of financial pressures; the difficulty of merely making ends meet let alone buying gifts for the children or those who expect gifts in this season of giving. The Lord bids us be at peace. We can only affect those things over which we have control. The rest we must leave to God and have faith that the Father who gave his children the greatest gift ever given will find a way to make sure his peace reigns during this season of peace.

Some feel stress because of all that must be done in such a short time or because of conflicting obligations. The Lord bids us to be at peace – there is only one thing that is important and that is to recall that he came to reveal the love of the Father and the peace that faith in his love will bring.

Most important for us today is to hear the Word of God and know that he wants only our happiness. His most fervent desire is the joy that comes from his love and loving Him in return. That is our prayer today, that God’s love will bring us the peace for which we all yearn.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is “The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes” by Lambert Lombard, c. 1550
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[4] See NAB footnote on Psalm 23